Stock restrainer



March 10, 1925. 1,529,471

J. F. EDWARDS STOCK RESTRAINER Filed Sept. 23, 1924 Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES JAMES F. EDWARDS, OF KINSTQ'N, NORTH CAROLINA.

STOCK RESTRAINER.

Application filed September 23, 1924. Serial No. 739,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, JAMES F. EDWARDS, citizen of the United States, residing at Kinston, in the county of Lenoir and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock Restrainers; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel improvement in devices for preventing stock from jumping or breaking through fences and from running away in pastures when it is desired to catch them; and is what I term a stock restrainer. The object of the invention is to provide a simple and novel device which, when properly attached to the head of an animal, will effectively prevent its breaking through or jumping fences; or when properly attached to the foot of an animal will break it of running away; and further to provide a restrainer that will not be injurious to the animal, or uncomfortable to it; and will not have any dangerous hooks liable to catch in fences or roots and other obstructions on the ground and hold the animal so that it cannot get free.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the same, and set forth in the claims the novel features of construction thereof for which protection is desired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the restrainer as suspended from the head of an animal.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the device.

Figure 3 is a view at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top sectional view on line 44, Fig. 3 looking downwardly.

Figure 5 is a view of a metal blank from which the restrainer is formed.

The restrainer as shown, is preferably formed out of a metal blank or strip A of suitable length, breadth and thickness as indicated in Figure 5; which strip has each end divided by a longitudinally extending slit a into opposite members. From this blank the restrainer is formed as follows:

The blank A is first bent centrally upon itself to form a shank 2, formed by pressing the opposite central portions of the blank A together said shank having an eye 1 at one end.

One of the members at one side of the slit at one end of the shank'is bent outwardly facewise at right angles to the blank and to the shank 2 to form an arm or finger 3, as shown, and the opposite member of this end of the blank is bent out-wardly edgewise at right angles to the shank and also at'right angles to the finger'3, forming another finger 4. Similarly the members at opposite sides of the slit in the other end of the blank are respectively bent to form an outwardly projecting finger 5 (similar to the finger 3) but projecting oppositely thereto, and at right'angles to the finger 4; and a finger 6 similar to the finger 4 but opposite theretoyand projecting atright angles to the fingers 3 and 5, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

The several fingers preferably project in substantially the same plane and at right angles to each adjacent other finger and to the shank. Further these fingers are straight and not hooked on their ends, so that when the fingers come in contact withan object on the ground or a wire on a fence will not hook in the object but will merely hang or bind thereon if it is attempted to pull the finger past the object, but.

the finger can be easily and readily disengaged by a backward movement.

To prevent cattle from jumping or breaking through fences, the restrainer is preferably suspended from a head halter, as shown in Figure 1. I preferably employ a head halter H of the usual type but having the lower end jaw strap or chain it provided with a snap hook by which it can be easily engaged or disengaged with the ring at the side of the halter as shown in Figure 1. The restrainer may be readily suspended from the chain or member 71, by means of a ring 7 which is preferably permanently connected with the eye 1 of the shank.

For animals such as horses and cattle the shank of the restrainer would be about eight inches in length and each of the fingers about four inches in length, and this size restrainer will effectively prevent the animal jumping or breaking through a fence, as should the animal try to go over or through a fence one or more of the fingers 4 would engage a wire or bar of the fence and when a the animal feels the pull it will stop. As the device has no hooks it does not catch back-0E, but will always be arrested by the restrainer When it attempts to go through or over the fence. If the fingers Were hooked theywould be apt-to'cateh or hang onto the fence Wires or bars andeither injure the animal or cause it to" break the fence by backward pulling ou therestrainer. Furthermore hooks are undesirable and dangerous as they are apt to, catch roots, stones; etc., in the ground and hold; the

. gerous, position. ;;The restrainer is also useful for preventing-horses running away in the pasture. [Forsuch purpose; the, restrainer can be attachedby a strap to one foot .of a horse, and in a few n1o1 nen tshe 5 vvill discover that when it attempts to go {there ista check on "its foot, caused by; the restrainer dragg ng. The restra ner is part cularly useful on driving or rid ng horses be'readily .oa'ughtlwhen it is desired to use run away.

.Therestrainers. have proved praeticably 'them,' vvhere Without the restrainer they will h successful for both purposes. They are simple and economical; and the absence of hooks on the ends of the fingers, and, the novel construction oif the restrainer are importanflfeatures of the invention.

Iclaim:

'1. 'l'i'restrainer for the purpose specified formed of a metal strip bent upon itself to form a shank having an eye at one end; the ends of the strap at; the endof the -shank opposite the eye being divided; iIltO 't-WO animal there n an uncomfortable or-danmembers each member being bent to form an: outwardly projecting vfinger lying'at right. angles to the shank and to the adjacent fingers.

2. A restrainer forthe purpose speeified comprising a, longitudinally divided shank having; an ey e at one end; the end oif the shank ;opposite the eye being divided into four members, each member being be'ntto I I f0 rm an outwardly projecting;fingerlying when turned nto the pasture as horses with the :restraxner on will 'allowthemselves to at substantially. r ght ngles ;o the; ;-shank JAMES F; EDWARDS- 

